here in your arms
by paperbagface
Summary: SasuSaku. AU. “Hello,” he quietly murmurs, his onyx eyes smoldering. “I miss you quite terribly.”


_i fell in love with you suddenly..._

I want to glue the pieces of your shattered heart back together, Sakura.  
I want to fix all the damage I've done.  
I want to prove to you that I can love you.

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**here in your arms  
**by: paperbagface

_Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.  
Song and lyrics "Here (in your arms)" copyright to Hellogoodbye_

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She is a strange girl, with (_theprettiestandmostamazing) _emerald eyes, and (_softsilky) _pink hair. Those eyes are fierce, lively and passionate, burning with her strengths and thriving on her weaknesses. She is new to the village, and to the school, and already she is attacked by the other girls their age, teased and bullied because of her (_uniquelybeautiful) _features. Something in his heart compels him to save her whenever he sees the (_beautiful) _strange girl bullied and teased, but he knows he cannot. But as he watches her from afar, he finds that she is a brave, outspoken girl. She is strong physically and emotionally, and she attacks her bullies in the same way they attack her. He finds that she never cries before them, and when he watches her walk away, he notices to slight shine of a stream of tears.

At thirteen, he wishes he can save her.

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His life quickly spirals into nothingness when his (_traitorbetrayer) _older brother undergoes a despicable devolution and massacres his family. The thoughts of killing his brother and avenging his beloved family possess his heart and soul, and his feelings for the strange girl are stored away into the deepest chambers of his heart, temporarily forgotten.

At fourteen, she is forgotten.

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At age fifteen, the (_souniquelybeautiful) _strange girl is no longer bullied or teased. Instead, she befriends her old bully, Yamanaka Ino, who changes for the better. The two are inseparable, sharing everything and anything, offering advice to each other and others, and both known for their beauty. At times, when his mind is distracted and he is not focused on his brother, he looks at her and finds the hidden feelings surface for a few moments. He realizes that her (_soshiny) _emerald eyes shine with greater life now, that her laughter and smiles are genuine. He is thankful that she is braver and more confident, thankful that something in her life was able to birth a new beginning within her.

He muses how he is so entranced by her and still has never spoken a word to her, but he quickly shakes the wishful thinking off, because he is an avenger.

His life changes for the better – or, perhaps, for the worse – when Fate grants them their first opportune meeting.

They are both in the marketplace, shopping for whatever groceries and goods are needed for their survival. It is crowded today, especially because of the number of merchants throwing sales for the ripest part of the seasons. He is holding a bag full of the ripest tomatoes he is able to buy, and he quickly makes his way back to his (_lonelyempty) _mansion. He is too preoccupied by speeding away – and, of course, his excessive amount of fan girls – to realize that the strange girl is speeding towards him, most likely to catch the best deals before the ripest fruits and vegetables are gone. They are both too distracted to realize each other, and their fateful first meeting takes place when she crashes into his chest and he nearly pushes her back.

"Oh, shoot, I'm sorry – " She begins rambling, and for the first time in their lives, emerald and onyx clash and meld together. Her rambling is stopped when they gaze into each other's souls for the first time, but after a few moments, she realizes she is staring, and quickly continues. "Er, I'm really sorry, Sasuke."

He is surprised that she knows his name, and he feels the hidden feelings resurface once more. A (_beautifulamazing) _smile graces her lips, and his heart skips a beat.

"I'm sorry, too," he finally says, regaining his composure. "See you around, Sakura."

Her smile grows.

"Okay. Bye, Sasuke."

And so they part, both their hearts beating rapidly and their eyes shine with new beginnings. In the marketplace, Sakura meets up with Ino, and the Yamanaka is confused as to why the Haruno's cheeks are a rosy pink.

"Whoa, what's up, Sakura?" The beauty queen asks. "You seem flustered."

The blush on Sakura's cheeks intensify, and she averts her emerald eyes elsewhere.

"He knew my name."

-

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At age eighteen, Sakura and Sasuke are placed in the same Psychology class in Konoha University. They are immediately paired with one another – to the dismay of Sasuke's fan girls and Sakura's secret suitors – for their beginning-of-the-year project.

In the library while they are studying, Sakura realizes that Sasuke is a (_amazingimperfect) _strange man. Outside, he is cold and arrogant, prideful and boasting, yet she knows that inside, he is a kind-hearted, sweet person. She knows the history of his family, and knows that this trauma caused his interesting change from an innocent boy to a cold-hearted man, but something draws her to him from the beginning.

From her first day in Konoha to her current year, she has always been compelled to the mysterious Uchiha. Even when they were complete strangers at age thirteen, when she first looked at him, her heart skipped beats and blushes rose to her cheeks. When she first saw his (_mesmerizingsmoldering) _mysterious eyes, she was drawn into them, drawn into their unique shine and untold mysteries. Even at age fifteen, after his transformation from the innocent teen to the cold-hearted Sasuke, her hidden feelings still remained; it despaired her, in fact, to know that he would not even know her name, someone like _her _with the abnormal pink hair and the emerald eyes. But during their first meeting, she was filled with ecstasy when he had said her name, _her _name so perfectly and familiarly (_sayitagain)_. Perhaps her feelings in her heart _did _mean something.

"You're a strange person, Sasuke," she finally pipes up after her reminiscing, an innocent smile on her lips.

When Sasuke looks up from his studying with narrowed eyes and a raised brow, she laughs.

"That's interesting," he retorts, "Because I think you're a strange person, too."

She grins at the irony of it all.

"Strange people can be friends, then?"

Sasuke smirks, shaking his head at her childish antics and how he is so drawn into her, _entranced _by her.

"Hn."

He is immediately glad that she is somehow able to realize that his previous "hn" meant yes, because the smile that forms on her lips is so beautiful and genuine that he feels warmth surge through his veins, filling his chest with warmth and driving away his brother's memory.

At eighteen, he realizes that he will never be able to stand breaking her.

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Three years later, Sakura and Sasuke are inseparable. They are the best of friends, as Sakura knows her limits and boundaries, and Sasuke knows she understands him. He knows that she does not hate him for being possessed by the idea of avenging his family and killing his _(stupidstupid) _brother, and she knows that he may not always be able to express what is in his heart. It is a relationship that works, bordering on the edges of something and _nothing, _yet thrives on these blurry borders and lives off the confusions.

"Naruto, have you seen Sakura?"

A worried Sasuke runs to his dorm, opening the door and immediately slamming his hands on his dorm mate, and best friend, Uzumaki Naruto's desk. Naruto opens his mouth to retort, but when he sees Sasuke's worry and concern, he immediately shakes his head.

"Sakura's missing?" Naruto asks, worry flowing through his voice, as Sakura is a sister to him.

Sasuke quickly nods, and when he knows that Naruto cannot provide him with further information, he runs out the door.

"Hey, Sasuke – " Naruto quickly says, but stops when he Sasuke is out of sight.

The Uzumaki grins when Sasuke is finally able to show _some _sort of feelings for Sakura. And after a few moments, he quickly takes a seat down, knowing that if the two are meant for each other, then Sakura will certainly be found.

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Sakura is found in the University's gardens, her eyes swollen and red, steams of tears falling from them. It is the middle of fall, and the dead leaves around her are swirling in their hues of red, orange, and yellow; when Sasuke first sees her from a distance, he muses how cliché the scene is, yet how incredibly beautiful Sakura looks, regardless of the despair written across her face.

When he is closer to her, he feels his heart break with every sniff and quiet sob he hears. Slowly, he takes a seat beside her on the bench, and gently swipes his thumb across her cheeks to wipe away her tears.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" He asks.

She blushes at the amount of concern he shows, and more tears rush from her eyes. She averts her gaze and looks elsewhere – anywhere but his (_beautifulsmoldering)_ eyes – and he muses how strong she is by not allowing anyone to see her weakness.

Sasuke quietly chuckles, a tiny smile on his lips, and Sakura's eyes widen. Emerald clashes with onyx once more, and in his eyes she can see life and emotions that she has never seen before.

"It's okay, Sakura," he quietly murmurs.

And before she can protest, question, or _say anything _for that matter, he opens his arms wide, and it is an invitation she cannot deny. His arms gently circle around her, holding her close to him, as she lets her walls and defenses drop, and allows herself to cry in his arms (_pleasedon'teverletmego)_.

At age twenty-one, Sasuke knows he cannot bear to see his (_amazing) _strange girl cry.

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He finds it all incredibly ironic; how he cannot bear to see his (_beautifulinnocentangel) _Sakura cry, yet how he is the cause of her stream of tears now. Sasuke can feel his heart tearing itself apart from the inside out, wondering why the feelings he harnessed for the girl were kept deep within his heart's darkest chambers never to completely reveal themselves. And now, _now _Uchiha Sasuke feels the regret of being an Avenger, of being unable to fully love Haruno Sakura like she does him.

"So you're leaving," she quietly murmurs, attempting to keep composed.

She cried in front of him once, cried so fiercely and genuinely in front of him like she never would have any other person but herself. Now, now he is leaving her, leaving her heart so torn apart in pieces; the heart that _he _stole when he first looked into her eyes and said her name. And here Sasuke is, the owner and stealer of her heart, tearing it to pieces (_justlikehisstupidtraitorbrother)_.

He bites his bottom lip, weighing out the possibilities. All his life, he's been preparing for the day when he can find his elder brother and carry out his revenge. But then Sakura entered his life, causing his hidden emotions to resurface again and again, etching her very name and existence into his soul! What is worth it more to Uchiha Sasuke _now, _twenty-two years old – the revenge of his family, or the happiness of Sakura?

"Sakura, I – " He attempts to begin, but is silenced by the regretful smile twisting onto her lips.

"You have other priorities, Sasuke," she painfully realizes. "I – I was just a distraction, something to stop your heart from aching and your mind from thinking of your older brother. I understand that now. I – I was stupid enough to think that maybe you would love me, Sasuke. I thought that maybe, you would be able to love me from the moment you first said my name when we were fifteen. But I guess that was too much wishful thinking. I should've known that you couldn't – couldn't – l – love me."

Fresh streams of tears fall from her eyes, and she clenches her fists to attempt to fight off the pain in her heart.

"But still, I love you, Sasuke. More than anything," she says, her voice quivering with pain and anguish. "I don't regret loving you."

The air is filled with her sobs as he attempts to say something, but a lump takes place in his throat and any courage he previously felt is gone. After a few, long moments, Sasuke finally smiles, and takes a step towards the despairing girl, placing a gentle hand under her chin and pulling her up to face him.

"You strange, _strange _girl," Sasuke is finally able to say through a cracked voice and a coarse tone. "So very..._strange._"

Sakura laughs, more tears falling from her eyes, a tiny smile present on her lips.

"Goodbye, then, Sasuke."

And without another word, he releases her (_pleasecomeback) _and swiftly turns. Before she can call out his name, he is out of reach, but she does not fail to realize the slight shine of a tiny stream of tears.

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Her life after the fateful departure of Sasuke seemed to lose its meaning. She would sit on her apartment rooftop – even after the lecture of Naruto to be careful – to stare at the stars every single night, wondering when a falling star would appear so she could wish for Sasuke to return. The fact of sharing the same sky with him is no solace; in the stars, she seems his face, and in the dark sky, she sees his eyes. Her heart craves his touch, his laugh, his smile, and his presence. He has grown to be a dangerous addiction, and she knows there is no remedy to her illness.

Perhaps that is her only consolation for the sole meaning of her life fading away from her. Perhaps she knows that there is hope for him to come back, perhaps there is one last sliver of _something _for her to hold onto. She cannot give up on him; she cannot let him go! She cannot release the memories of him; she cannot forget the electricity of his touch, the sincerity of his rare smiles, the utter emotion in his voice! And f course she cannot forget the magic of his embrace, the comfort to be in his arms; that is where she belongs, and to have that belonging torn so ruthlessly –

"Two years, and you're still in love with him."

Her dull, green eyes stare into one of her best friend's – and brother-like figure's – cerulean eyes, and she offers a regretful smile. He takes a seat beside her on the rooftop, lying down and staring at the bright stars with a ponderous look on his face.

"I just can't seem to forget him. Sasuke _is _strange after all," she admits.

Naruto laughs, a heavy weight seeming to be lifted from his shoulders.

"Yeah, Sasuke is strange. How did you fall in love with him anyway?"

Sakura blushes, and her lips form a rare, genuine smile at the distant memory.

"When he said my name – well, it's cliché – but he had me at hello."

"And he's had you ever since, eh, Sakura?"

"Yeah," she quietly murmurs, "All the torn pieces of my heart have his name on it. And even though that should be the worst mistake of my life – to love someone who isn't _capable _of loving – I _still _love him! I don't regret loving him, but sometimes I wonder why we're destined to love the person who will hurt us the most."

"That's because you can only _truly _love the person that hurts you the most. Because no matter how terrible they are to you, no matter how many times they tear your heart to pieces, you love them until the end. That's true love, Sakura, and we _are _talking about Sasuke. He never said goodbye to you, did he, Sakura?"

When the Haruno shakes her head at the realization, Naruto nods, closing his eyes and breathing in the fresh night air.

"And so he's had you since hello, and he's never said goodbye."

At twenty-two, Sakura realizes she will always wait for her strange, significant other to return to her arms.

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He quietly stares at her – _their _– apartment window from the street, wondering if anything has changed from the three years he's been gone. He remembers every single detail that all three of them designed and influenced, remembers the feel of the mattress and couch underneath him every night. But most of all, he remembers the feel of her soft skin underneath his fingers, the feeling of the warmth she causes to erupt in his chest whenever she smiles, laughs, _looks at him. _Taking in a breath of the chilly, midnight air, he quickly locks the door to his car, leaving his luggage in the trunk for later on the day, and ascends the steps to their apartment door.

The key that has burned his pocket for so long twists through the lock and opens the doorknob, and he is overwhelmed with the fresh scent of his old home, of _her. _His eyes retake the familiar surroundings around him, the way the couch is positioned, the various picture frames on the side table, the empty vase sitting beside one of the windows. Quietly closing the door behind him, he removes his shoes and places them beside Naruto and Sakura's, a tiny smile gracing his lips at the thought of their family completed once more. Smelling the familiar scent of her perfume, he begins his trek through the small hallway before stopping before her – _their _– door. The pained expression that has haunted him from three years ago replays before his eyes, his heart panging with guilt and remorse. Would she still love him after what he's put her through?

He takes a deep breath, before slowly turning the doorknob. The familiar room is spread before him for the first time in three years, and he is glad to see her sleeping on their bed, arms tightly held against a spare pillow. He gently sits on the empty side – _his _side – of the mattress, and slowly lies down. When the sleeping Haruno does not wake, he lets off a quiet sigh of relief, and turns on his side to face her. He extends his arm to carefully cradle Sakura's face in his palm, and he smiles at the familiar electricity that surges through his veins at their contact. Sasuke does not gasp when Sakura's eyes quickly flicker open, tears already forming when her brain registers that he is, in fact, _home. _

Before allowing her a chance to question him and wake Naruto with her surprise, he quickly beats her to words.

"Hello," he quietly murmurs, his onyx eyes smoldering. "I miss you quite terribly."

Her heart skips millions of beats, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she smiles and finds herself in his arms.

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They are sitting beneath of cherry blossoms in full bloom. He watches her curiously as she stares off into the painted skies of pinks and whites, but says nothing, instead kissing her head and resting his chin atop it. She smiles when he brings his arms around her, cradling her close to him.

The feelings long forgotten in the interior of his heart resurface now, and he knows that they will remain in the brightest, liveliest chambers of his heart permanently. There is nothing else hindering his path, and he is more than thankful to have been given the second chance. And this time, he resolves, _this _time he will glue back the pieces he's torn, and show her that he can love her.

Sakura feels her heart mending, _healing. _Every touch glues another tiny fragment together, every smile makes her heart flutter and mend. Her purpose in life is returned, and she knows now the remorse and anguish of their past is gone, left to fade away through the passages of time. There is only healing and growing left for them. There is only the _future, _full of promises and happiness, left in store for them.

"I love you, Sasuke," she murmurs, fully leaning against him to stare up into his onyx orbs.

His lips form a small smile, and he leans down to slant them above hers for a sweet kiss.

"I know," he says when they pull away.

She cuddles deeper within him, bringing his arms closer around her. A large, genuine smile forms on her lips, and her (_beautifulunique) _emerald eyes shine with more life and happiness.

"I missed you," she whispers. "But here – here in your arms – there's no place else I could be."

She laughs at her revelation. He merely smiles and embraces her tighter, snuggling into her warmth and relishing in her love.

"It's where you belong," he says.

She laughs once more, and nods.

"Where I belong," she affirms.

He kisses her cheek, allowing a large, genuine smile to grace his lips.

"I love you, Sakura."

At age twenty-four, he is learning how to love her.

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She looks into his eyes with enchantment and _entrancement _when they are slow-dancing on the dance floor of Hyuuga Neji and Tenten's wedding reception. He looks into her emerald eyes with equal wonder and loss, both only feeling the emotion held within their hearts, unable to completely express what they felt with the limited language of words (_becauseamillioniloveyousaren'tenough)._

They are dancing under a beautiful blanket of stars, their faces lit by the enchanted moonlight. Fireflies gather around them, and he finds that she is so imperfectly beautiful. Her eyes glow with happiness and light, her lips form a smile of beauty and sincerity; she is the epitome of a woman, the deity of beauty and kindness! He finds that he is cannot tell her of his revelation, of his realization of her imperfect perfections, but smiles nonetheless when she laughs.

"You're very confused, Sasuke," she teases. "I'm not as drop dead gorgeous as you, I'm afraid."

He chuckles and shakes his head.

"I'll have to disagree, Sakura," he fondly argues. "You're _more _than drop dead gorgeous. You're _more _than absolutely beautiful. I'm at a loss as to what to describe you as."

Sakura blushes, but leans forward to capture his lips in a short kiss nonetheless, and contentedly smiles when they pull away.

"That's okay," she murmurs, placing her delicate fingers on his cheek, "Because I can see it in your eyes."

He pulls her closer, holding her close. She feels his smile and her heart erupts with more madness.

"Are you happy?" He asks her.

"More than anything."

He says nothing for a few moments, only swaying with her to the gentle music of the night. Finally, after the song's end, he gently pulls her away and takes her hand, offering a tiny smile on his lips.

"Shall we walk, Sakura?"

She smiles and nods.

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"Tonight is just so beautiful," Sakura happily sighs, taking a seat on the garden bench beside Sasuke, laying her head on his shoulder. "With the fireflies out, it's like the stars are dancing everywhere."

Sasuke says nothing for a few moments, only staring at the dazed girl before him.

"Sakura," he finally says, his eyes mysterious and mischievous.

She removes her head from his shoulder and faces him, her mouth slightly open with curiosity. She gasps with surprise when he quickly kneels before her on one knee, pulling a tiny, velvet box from his pocket. He smiles at her reaction and opens the box, the diamonds and emeralds glittering with life in the midst of the fireflies and stars.

"Sakura, you know I love you, but I don't know if you know how _much. _But I don't think I will ever be able to fully express how much I love you. You are just ... _imperfectly perfect. _To me, your little imperfections make you every bit more beautiful. More _perfect. _You are the kindest, most _loving, _woman I have ever met in my life. You make me thankful, you make me smile, you make me laugh; you have completely and utterly defined who I am, redefined my entire _entity_, and I love you for that. I'll _never _forget all you've done for me – and I'm _still _repaying my debt! But, Sakura, I'll forever be in debt to you. I'll always be by your side, succumbing to your every wish, because I love you, Sakura. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to show you that I can love you. That I will love you. That I _do _love you. That it's been you _all _along. So, will you marry me, Sakura?"

Tears fall from her eyes, and she tackles him to the ground, hugging him close and crying into his chest. He laughs with amusement and brings his arms around her, running his fingers through her soft hair.

"Of course I will, Sasuke," she finally says, gazing into his onyx orbs. "Because there's only one place I belong, and you already know that it's here in your arms."

And so their lips touch and their cheeks brush, and at age twenty-five, they are completely and utterly _in love, _and finally complete.

-

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She quietly slips into bed after putting their youngest son to sleep, and instantly she is embraced. She smiles and laughs, because her husband of twenty years is still the strangest man she has ever met, but returns the embrace nonetheless, cuddling into his chest and allowing her eyes to droop.

"Hello," he playfully teases. "I miss you quite terribly."

She laughs and he pulls her closer.

"We're a bit too old for that now, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiles and shakes his head.

"Of course not," he argues.

She laughs, playfully punching him on the arm.

"No matter what you say, Sasuke, you've already won me over _trillions _of times," she playfully says. "And even a trillion is not enough for how many times you will win me over tomorrow."

He chuckles.

"And even that isn't enough for me to express how much I love you, Sakura," he murmurs.

Sakura looks up into his onyx eyes, and she is lost within them once more. She leans forward and closes the gap between them, and pulls away after long moments, once more placing her head on his chest.

"I love you, too, Sasuke."

And at age forty-five, there is still no end.

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_you are the one, the one that lies close to me__  
whispers, "hello, I miss you quite terribly"  
__i fell in love, in love with you suddenly__  
now there's no place else i could be but  
here in your arms_

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_So, I just realized I really like writing songfics. Haha. I hope you liked it (:  
__Just 'cause, song and lyrics of "Here (in your arms)" is copyright to Hellogoodbye.__  
Go listen to it if you haven't already! It's so cute and happy. 8D  
Thanks for reading!_


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